Category Archives: Art

Concrete is a pretty amazing material. Form Matters explores the dual nature of concrete — of how it can be used to create architectural masterpieces meant to last hundreds of years to wearable, everyday accessories. It examines the overlapping nature of architecture, art, and fashion.

Since we’re on a subject of working from home – here is another interesting “workstation”, this time in a form of a couch. Famed Philippe Stark created the piece for the Italian brand Cassina. The couch, called My World, ergonomically designed to support the ideal posture for working and concentrating, while still being relaxed. The piece also features storage, work surfaces and ports for your various gizmos. It is so well-thought-out – you might never lift your bum…

Yesterday, l spent the day with some old friends. Marty Austin and Dan Williford are the guitarists from lxt Adux, a band we took through the early eighties club scene in the search of the elusive record contract.

If you Google the band, you’ll find we have, even still, a following in Italy where we were named one of the premier bands of the eighties on several internet lists. Even though these lists are maintained by someone in their back bedroom, I personally find it a hell of an honor anyone cares that much. And copies of the original vinyl “Brainstorm” album are worth $150/ea if you have them.

We didn’t get the elusive contract because our music was ahead of its time: a kind of a mash up of King Crimson (both phases), Primus and Zappa complete with multiple time signatures and key changes in a time when three power chord hair bands were raking in millions.

Maybe it would have never been the right time, we were so busy perfecting the ideas and the performance we never really stopped to see if people could tap their foot to what we were doing. After all, one reviewer, giving our album four stars (out of five) starts a glowing 2009 review led with: “Los Angeles based Ixt Adux were yet another late 70s / early 80s US band that had absolutely no chance of commercial success.”

Still, it was the most amazing, creative period I’ve ever lived through. For us, it actually was about the craft. We worked at it for seven years and the end everyone moved on to another chapter in their lives two albums and dozens of shows later.

For the most part we stayed in touch through out the years, although we lost touch with Marty. After while, it really started to bother me and eventually I fired a Jungian bottle rocket (subject of another post) and we found him.

The really great thing is we’ve started playing again. Free form jams at first, but eventually we started going back to the material we were working on when we split up. The unfinished business. We’ve been tapping around at it, wire brushing off the rust, digging down into muscle memory to cross the gulf of time.

Yesterday, we worked through some arrangements. The rehearsal discipline from thirty years ago was there, like only a day had gone by. We made some big strides in getting a difficult piece of music back on its feet. It was an awesome day with two of the coolest people I’ll ever know. I just want the world to know how grateful I am, that we’re alive and together and making music.

It’s like the world has been restored.

For an idea of what the band was like in its native element, check out a 1982 performance at Lincoln Park in Santa Monica of Dan Williford’s previously unreleased Ms. Conception here. – Ed.

This neglected church, once part of the Sant Francesc Convent, was renovated by Catalan architect David Closes. Located in the town of Santpedor, Spain, it was the last building standing from the convent and was badly in need of repair. The project turned the former church into an auditorium and multi-functional space for cultural events.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Matthew Hall, co-founder of myfilmis.com, an online independent film distribution channel. A film maker himself, he was frustrated with the limited number of channels available to independents. The typical route of film festivals and distribution trades shows had produced unsatisfactory results.

myfilmis.com allows film makers to upload all of their work and place it behind a pay wall so they can be compensated by those viewing the film. They can also upload trailers and teasers to attract people to their movie. They also can choose to make the movie available for free. The site categorizes its available films by genre and has a page of trailers for each one.

If you’re a film maker or just like independent films, check out myfilmis.com

Creech said that in fiscal year 2012, the National Guard has been contacted by more than 24,800 individuals interested in joining because of the racing sponsorship. Of those, Creech said that 20 were qualified candidates and that none joined.

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK: That means a $26MM sponsorship had a $1.3MM per recruit cost. Way to go! – Ed.